


Eight Days to Paradise

by Confession23



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, F/F, Humor, Swan Queen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-03-29
Packaged: 2018-03-15 06:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3437336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Confession23/pseuds/Confession23
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina thinks the author might be in Tallahassee. Of course, when she mentions her plan to take a road trip there, Emma doesn’t think she should go alone and insists on going with her. Naturally, they run into Lily and her fiancé because that is their luck.<br/>When they hit a few snags in their plan, it brings them closer together. Or it seemed to, at least.<br/>Fluffy, some angst, lots of snark. TW non-con: brief mention of King Leopold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> Pics of a Swan Queen road trip sparked my creativity and this story was born :) It's only my second fic and the first one was only a one shot, so don't expect literary genius. And also, constructive criticism is always appreciated.  
> Fluff, fluff, and more fluff because why not?
> 
> No beta. All mistakes are my own.
> 
> I do not own Regina. I do not own Emma. I do not own Lily. I own nothing but this story.
> 
> Enjoy :)

"Is that really necessary?" She scorned Emma like she was a child.

"The fancy hotel that we spent hours searching for because none of the other ones were good enough for you, isn't gunna give us free food. It's gunna be really expensive and I don't feel like emptying my wallet every time I want something to eat. It's bad enough we had to go to the next town over just to find a grocery store that meets your standards," Emma absent-mindedly added items to their grocery cart. "And Pop-Tarts are an easy snack, so yes, it is necessary," she tried to convince Regina.

"Really?" Regina quirked a single brow. "All six boxes of cinnamon brown sugar Pop-Tarts are absolutely essential to our survival?"

The blonde broke out her puppy dog eyes, "I like my Pop-Tarts."

"You're a child," Regina deadpanned.

Emma gave her a cutesy smile as a silent thank you, and they began moving forward once more, but Emma barely took a step before her eyes widened in shock and she ducked behind Regina.

"Crap!"

"Excuse me," the brunette asked in confusion, turning to face the blonde.

"Crap, crap, crap!" Concern covered Emma's face as she glanced around the older woman.

Regina was having none of her foolishness. "Do we need to find you a bathroom," she drawled, "Or perhaps a dictionary?"

Emma rolled her eyes and huffed. "No, I-," she peeked over Regina's shoulder, "Crap!"

"What?" She turned around trying to find Emma's source of apparent distress, only finding two woman further down their aisle, and turned back to Emma, brows raised in questioning.

"She's walking this way," Emma stated in a stressed whisper, and Regina just stared at her, waiting for elaboration. "Quick, I need you to be my girlfriend."

Regina's eyes shot open wide. "What," she asked in disbelief.

Emma could see the two women rapidly approaching so she began talking as fast as her brain would allow. "I'm begging you, Regina, I am begging you. Just pretend to be my girlfriend for a couple minutes and I'll do anything you want. _Please_."

"No," she stated simply. Regina wanted no part of whatever Emma was trying to pull off.

"Please, Regina. I'll put the Pop-Tarts back and eat salad every day and I won't bug you at all for the rest of this trip."

"No." Regina remained un-amused. Emma was less than convincing despite her best efforts in that moment.

"But-"

"Emma?" A voice came from a few feet away.

Emma turned around to face the source with a smile, "Lily."

Regina gave both strangers the up-down as that woman pulled Emma into a long hug. The woman on the right was tall and thin with a blonde bob haircut styled perfectly and dark blue eyes. She came off very cold and calculated and had a smug look that Regina wanted to slap off her face. The woman on the left was a few inches shorter, with dark hair and eyes - her name was apparently Lily. That woman seemed much more pleasant, but Regina remained wary.

"How have you been? I've missed you," the dark-haired friend asked as she pulled away, seemingly genuinely interested in Emma's well-being.

"Uh," Emma fumbled for words, "Good, I guess." She plastered a smile on her face. "I'm a sheriff now."

"Emma, that's amazing!" Lily flashed a proud smile, but based on Emma's posture and current speech pattern, Regina questioned whether the woman really had any right to be proud. It was already clear in the forty-five seconds they had been interacting that Emma was uncomfortable and not quite acting like herself.

"I'm a social worker," the woman added. "I want to help kids like us, you know?"

Regina watched as the woman next to Lily looked Emma up and down, trying to disguise her distaste, but didn't try hard enough. That woman clearly thought she was better than Emma, and that's when it clicked for Regina. Two can play that game. She placed a smile on her lips and prepared for battle.

"That's great-" Emma started, but she was cut off.

"Oh my God," Lily exclaimed when she looked at Regina. "I totally forgot to introduce you!" The as yet unidentified woman resumed her smug smile. "This is Rachel, my fiance'," she gestured.

"Oh, congratulations." Emma shook Rachel's hand, "It's nice to meet you, Rachel. You're a lucky woman."

"I know," the tall blonde answered, holding her self-righteous grin.

Regina's upper lip briefly curled in disgust before settling back down into a beautiful smile.

Emma glanced at Regina as she spoke, "Uh, this is-"

"I'm Regina," she introduced herself, shaking Lily's hand. "It's so nice to finally meet the infamous Lily." She then returned to Emma's side and hugged the blonde's arm, entwining their fingers, and looked Rachel dead in the eye, sending a message that Rachel's uneasy reaction confirmed was received loud and clear.

Emma somehow managed to keep her surprise in check, only glancing quickly at Regina before "resuming character".

"Infamous Lily," the long lost friend repeated in question directed to Emma, to which she shrugged her shoulders and gave a tight-lipped smirk.

Rachel's reaction wasn't nearly as smooth as Emma's which, of course, only encouraged Regina to further drive the point. She reached into her pocket for her phone, pretending it was vibrating. "Oh, excuse me for a moment." She stepped aside, making sure to keep them within earshot and had her one-sided conversation while Lily asked Emma about her sheriff position. Rachel tried to disguise the fact that she was eavesdropping Regina's "phone call", but yet again, failed to be successful.

"Henry?........Hi, Hun.....................Did you finish your homework?....Then of course, you can go to the movies........You're welcome, Dear......Bye, Henry. I love you too."

Regina caught Rachel staring at her, but pretended not to notice. Time for the big hit.

"Sorry," she apologized to everyone. "That was our son."

The expression on Rachel's face told Regina she had won and it felt good.

"You two have a son?" Lily's voice raised up an octave or so.

Emma and Regina nodded their heads in unison a couple times before Regina elaborated.

"Henry," she and Emma looked lovingly into each other's eyes. "He's the real love of our lives."

Emma hummed in agreement before they both turned their attention back to the other couple.

Rachel finally contributed her first real sentence since they met. "Well, we really should be going... Lots of last minute wedding things to take care of."

Regina knew that was directed at her - Rachel's final attempt to win the game, which of course, did not work. Regina saw right through it and had no doubt in her mind that she claimed the victory.

"But you guys should totally come to the wedding next Saturday," Lily added quickly as Rachel rolled her eyes. "It would be wonderful to have you there."

There was no way Emma was going to that wedding. "I'm not sure if we'll even still be in town by then," was the first excuse she could think of, but that wasn't enough for Lily.

"Then lunch? Tomorrow?" Much like Emma had done to Regina only minutes ago, the engaged brunette gave Emma her best puppy dog eyes. The puppy dog eyes that had drawn her in over a decade ago. "Pleeeease? I would really love to catch up."

"Uh, okay," Emma responded, checking Regina for signs of anger bursts about to erupt. After all, this trip was supposed to be about helping her find the author, not catching up with ex's. However, Emma surprisingly found no signs of anger whatsoever.

Lily squealed in excitement and named a time and place before Rachel all but dragged her away to finish their errands.

Once they were alone, Regina turned to Emma with her hands on her hips and gave her a death stare.

Emma clasped her hands, "Pretty please? With a cherry on top?"

***************************************************************************

"We'll keep you updated, I promise." Emma was talking to Henry on the phone when she returned from her trip down the hall, in search of a vending machine with some root beer.

Regina's eyes dashed up as she waved her hand, and Emma chuckled, "We miss you and we love you. Be good, kid," before hanging up.

She treaded over to the bed and handed a root beer to Regina who was waiting for the blonde to share the phone call. "He said he misses us and he loves us and he hopes we can come home soon."

Regina gave a guilty smile. "This is so selfish of me," she offered.

Emma's brows furrowed in confusion as she supped her orange soda.

"Leaving Henry just so I can find this ridiculous author so I can have my happy ending." The older woman sat on the right side of the bed with one leg folded under her and the other hanging over the side. The story book was closed, sitting in front of her and she just stared at the cover as condensation from the soda bottle ran down her hand.

Emma had no response. She couldn't deny that what they were doing was selfish, but she understood what it was to be dealt a shitty hand in life and given the opportunity to confront the person responsible for it all... Well, she understood.

She stood and watched as Regina seemed to fall into her own little world of guilt and shame, completely zoning out, and she hated that the brunette could never get anything she wanted without feeling bad about it.

"Listen," she began, trying to bring Regina back to reality. "Thanks again for today," Regina finally made eye contact, "And tomorrow."

Brown eyes fall to Emma's hands, "I thought you wanted a root beer."

"Oh, uh, there was only one left," she gestured to her friend's drink.

Regina looked down at the bottle in her hands.

Emma walked around to the other side of the bed and plopped. "But um, anyway, thanks again. I know you didn't have to do it and I really appreciate you helping me save face," she smirked, hoping Regina hadn't changed her mind about continuing their little scheme at lunch with Lily and Rachel.

Regina grinned, "That's perfectly fine, Dear. We're even now, which means I can have the bed all to myself."

"What?! How does that work?"

"Well," she began explaining, "I owed you for coming here with me. It would have been wrong to owe you a favor and then still make you sleep on the floor. But now," she smiled, "We're even."

Emma didn't like that logic. She turned on the bed to face Regina, "If we're even, then why do you automatically get the bed?"

"Because I'm the queen," she stated simply and gave Emma a sideways smile, making it clear the topic was not up for debate.

The blonde pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at the woman staking claim to the only bed in the room. She stood up, grabbed a pillow, and dropped it on the floor at the foot of the bed before laying down with only her jacket as a blanket. Good thing she brought sweatpants.

Regina observed as the scene played out before her and waited until her traveling companion was on the floor before she spoke up. "There's a blanket for you in the closet, you know."

She couldn't see the green eyes once she had laid back, so she explained in the absence of a response. "I had room service bring it up while you were in the shower earlier."

Emma sat up at lightning speed, "You planned on making me sleep on the floor the whole time."

"As soon as we realized we were only going to get one bed, yes," she laughed, finding the situation comical. "Except now, I don't have to feel guilty about it because I don't owe you a favor anymore."

After months of moping around after Robin Hood, Mayor Mills was finally back, and as much of a pain in the ass she could be, Emma found herself missing the fierce personality and witty banter.

"Regina, you never owed me for helping you in the first place," she said knowing that people only ever helped Regina in the past when they got something out of it.

"Good! Then you owe me for pretending to be your girlfriend," the mayor was clearly pleased with the conversation, "And I'm collecting."

Emma rolled her eyes before retrieving the blanket and trying her best to get comfortable at the foot of the queen's bed.


	2. Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina huffed, "I'm always charming."  
> "No, _I'm_ always charming... Literally, I'm a Charming." The blonde smiled at her own joke.  
>  "Actually, you're a Swan," Regina corrected, thankful she wasn't on this trip with a Charming.  
> Emma laughed and glanced back to the brunette, wiggling her eyebrows, "And you know what they say about queens loving their swans."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2! I finished it quicker than I anticipated, hopefully I can be so quick with the rest of the chapters.  
> Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated!
> 
> Enjoy :)

They walked up to a tiny diner that was freakishly similar to Granny's. It had a bunch of round tables outside in front of the entrance and it looked like it had even fewer seats inside. The building was clearly old and in need of a spruce up, but it's patrons appeared to be pleased.

Emma peeked down at the piece of paper Lily had used to write down the diner name and location, "Mel's Diner, this is the place," and they resumed their approach.

Regina glanced over at Emma briefly. “I can’t believe you chose to wear that.”

“Wha- What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” The blonde suddenly feel completely unsure of her typical skinny jeans and leather jacket.

“Nothing.” She shrugged her shoulders, “I just thought you wanted to make her jealous.”

Emma let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding, “Oh. I don’t know. I just want her to know I’m doing just fine without her. And plus, not everyone can look runway ready every second of their lives,” she gestured to the brunette.

Regina’s eyebrows lifted, “Well, if you don’t want to make her jealous, I shouldn't be here.” She jokingly turned around and started walking away.

Emma rolled her eyes, “Hilarious.”

She paused and turned back to the blonde with a wide grin, clearly pleased with herself. 

Emma opened the door for the older woman and waved her inside, “After you, Your Majesty.”

“Emma!” A woman’s voice came from one of the outside tables.

Brown eyes narrowed, “Well, this feels like déjà vu.”

Emma closed the door and glanced around, finding Lily waving at them and Rachel looking less than pleased. They had walked right by their table without even noticing.

“Time to turn up your charm,” Emma whispered as she walked past Regina, leading them to their new/old friends.

Regina huffed, “I’m always charming.”

“No, _I’m_ always charming… Literally, I’m a Charming.” The blonde smiled at her own joke.

“Actually, you’re a Swan,” Regina corrected, thankful she wasn't on this trip with a Charming.

Emma laughed and glanced back to the brunette, wiggling her eyebrows, “And you know what they say about queens loving their swans.”

“Maybe in this world, but not the Enchanted Forest.”

“They do in every world.” Emma stated as they reached the table. “Right,” she asked Lily.

Lily hadn't heard anything Emma and Regina were talking about. “What?”

Emma raised her hand, “Just say yes.”

“Don’t say yes,” Regina warned the other brunette.

Lily looked back and forth between them as the three of them stood at the table. “Um, what are we even talking about?”

“Fairytale Land,” Emma stated as if it was as normal to discuss anywhere in the country as it was in Storybrooke, “And whether their queens love their swans as much as in our world.”

Lily thought they were joking and was more than willing to play along. “Oh, definitely,” she said, nodding her head.

The green-eyed blonde turned to her pretend girlfriend with a smug smile, “Told you.”

Dark eyebrows shot upwards and hands darted to her hips. “And she would know better than I would,” Regina questioned.

Emma shrugged her shoulders, “Some people can look at things more objectively than others.” 

She turned her attention to her other brown-eyed friend, hoping Regina wouldn't make her explain her last comment. “Hi, Lily.” 

Lily chuckled and glanced briefly at Rachel, who had been sitting in complete silence the entire time. “Hi,” she responded, hugging the blonde.

Emma nodded to the other blonde, “Hey, Rachel.”

“Hey.” Rachel barely even tried to pretend that she was happy to see her fiancé’s ex. 

“Regina,” Lily hugged her, “Nice to see you again.” She was all smiles.

“You as well,” she replied. “Hi, Rachel.”

Rachel said nothing, only waved.

Regina twitched a single eyebrow before moving to sit down, and found that Emma was pulling out the seat for her next to Lily. She gave Emma a shy grin of gratitude before both women took their seats.

“So what brings you here to Tallahassee,” Lily asked as she folded her hands on the table. “You said you were only visiting? Gosh, I don’t even know where you’re visiting from.”

Regina and Emma looked at each other before Regina answered. “We live in Maine. A town so tiny it’s virtually nonexistent.” She couldn't help but grin at her own joke.

“I hear Maine is beautiful,” the younger brunette nodded. “So why are you guys all the way down here?”

This time, Emma offered an answer. “Uh, I've wanted to come to Tallahassee for a long time actually and we both needed a break. So, we decided it was time and took a few much-needed vacation days.”

“Mm,” Regina hummed in agreement as she reached for Emma’s hand on top of the table. Her brown eyes locked onto green orbs gazing back at her, “I think we’re really finding something here, you know?”

“Yeah,” was all Emma mustered.

“Can I get you ladies something to drink?” The waitress popped up out of nowhere, and Regina let go of Emma’s hand when she was startled.

“Sparkling lemon water,” Rachel didn't bother looking up from her phone as she voiced her demand.

Lily at least had more manners. “Iced tea, please.”

The waitress looked at Regina, waiting for her to order. “Just a water is fine, thank you.”

“I’ll have a root beer, thanks,” Emma squinted at the woman’s name tag, “Melanie.”

“Anyway, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourselves. Now,” Lily leaned forward in her seat, “You said you had a son, Henry? Where’s he? I would love to meet him.”

“He’s actually staying with his grandparents back home,” Regina gave her an apologetic grin.

Rachel scoffed, “You ditched the kid to go on vacation?” She stared at Regina, making it clear what she was implying.

Lily still seemed oblivious to Rachel’s passive aggression directed at Regina, which seemed unlike the Lily Emma knew. Either way, Emma noticed Regina tense up immediately. 

Regina may not have been perfect, but if there was one thing the blonde never doubted, it was that Henry was lucky to have Regina. She knew the older woman already felt guilty leaving him out of the road trip; the last thing she wanted was for Regina to feel any worse. In no universe would she ever consider her son’s other mother to be anything less than an amazing parent. 

She scooted her chair closer to Regina, and placed a hand on the brunette’s leg under the table, which seemed to relax her a tiny bit knowing that she had support. Emma stared Rachel down, “We didn't want to pull him out of school for a week. They've had so many snow days this year, they’re already really behind. We weren't about to make it any worse. What kind of parents would we be if our child’s education didn't come first?”

Regina placed her hand over Emma’s and gave her a gentle grin as a silent thank you.

Thankfully, the waitress picked a good time to bring their drinks and dispel some of the tension at the table that Lily was still somehow completely oblivious to. The four women place their orders and discussed a range of topics while waiting for their food to arrive. Fortunately the chatting was kept civil, which Emma attributed to the fact that Rachel played on her phone and rarely participated in the conversation. They talked about Emma’s past and how she wound up in Maine (with obvious necessary alterations to the story), what it was like for Regina being mayor, and how Rachel and Lily met, along with other small talk. It was much more pleasant than Emma anticipated and it seemed like their food was ready in no time at all.

“Salad with Italian?”

Regina raised a finger, “Here, thank you.”

“Turkey club?”

“Right here, thanks,” Lily spoke up.

“Burger?”

“Mmm,” Emma raised her hand and smiled. “Thank you.”

“And the other salad,” the waitress stated as she set the bowl in front of Rachel. “If you need anything, let me know.”

Regina looked over at Emma’s plate, “Of course, you got a greasy burger and fries.”

Emma crinkled her nose, “Of course, you got a boring salad.”

“Do you ever eat anything healthy?” It was an honest question that Regina had been pondering for years.

“Do you ever eat anything delicious?” The blonde snapped back.

Regina rolled her eyes, “You’re infuriating.”

“I love you too, Babe.” Emma leaned back in her chair and rested an arm on the back of Regina’s as she munched on her fries.

Rachel watched as the brunette she wasn't so fond of poured dressing all over her salad. “Actually, the salad dressing is where all the carbs are, so really you’re not being as healthy as you think. That’s why I eat mine dry… I have a wedding dress to fit into.” 

“I don’t really have to worry about that,” she shrugged her shoulders. “I've weighed the same for the past twenty years or so.” She took a sip of Emma’s root beer and stole a fry without thinking twice. 

Somewhere along the way, Emma and Regina’s seats had shifted around the table until they were side-by-side, almost touching, which allowed Regina to lean back into Emma quite comfortably.

“Speaking of the wedding,” Lily said excitedly, “Are you sure you can’t make it? I would really love it if you guys could come.”

Emma opened her mouth to once again decline the wedding invitation, but Regina spoke up faster. “We would love to.”

Emma scrunched her brows and glanced quickly at her pretend girlfriend, “Bu-“

“We were able to sort things out to stay an extra day; so of course, we’ll be at the wedding.” 

The green-eyed blonde just smiled and nodded.

***************************************************************************

“What the hell was that,” Emma whispered in exasperation as she and Regina left the diner. She had a hard enough time getting Regina to pretend to be her girlfriend for two minutes when they first met Lily, and then had to beg her to agree to lunch. Now, all of a sudden, Regina was all gung-ho for the wedding.

“Relax,” the brunette stuffed her hands in her blazer pockets as they continued walking.

“Relax? Regina, weddings are whole-day affairs with lots of poking and prodding questions that are completely inappropriate for strangers to ask, but they do it anyway.” 

“I’m aware. I had one, if you recall,” the older woman stated with bitterness.

Emma began waving her hands around, “Okay then you know this isn't just some hour long lunch where we can wing it and leave.”

“We did just fine today. Lily and her dead-weight will never figure out your little secret,” Regina spat.

Emma gently grabbed Regina’s arm to stop their walking, “You don’t have to do this. I thought we went over this; you don’t owe me anything.”

“Oh, this has nothing to do with you,” Regina assured her.

“Huh?” The blonde stood in her seemingly natural state of confusion.

“This has nothing to do with you,” she repeated. “This is personal. This is between me and Rachel.” She was determined as ever. “Rachel has this need to be better than her fiancé’s ex, and by extension, her fiancé’s ex’s girlfriend.”

Emma furrowed her brows.

Regina exhaled as she shifted her weight on her feet, “As soon as she met you, Rachel tried to establish that she was better than you, and when you didn't respond to it and I made you look good, she realized that wasn't going to work. So her next plan is to make herself look better than me, except I can’t simply ignore it and have the same effect. If I ignore it, it seems like she has intimidated me; like, out of you and Lily’s break-up, Lily won because she got the stronger woman.”

The younger woman narrowed her eyes, “Okay, but we’re not actually together, so what do you care?”

“I’m the queen; I don’t like to lose.” Regina folded her arms in front of her body.

Emma laughed, “You feel like she won at lunch, so you need to win at the wedding. That’s why you want to go.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No, I definitely won at lunch, but she doesn't think so. So I have to show her at the wedding,” Regina clarified.

“Regina,” Emma paused for a moment before continuing. “It’s her wedding day… Probably not the best time to convince someone they've lost.”

The brow-eyed beauty dropped her arms and looked a bit offended, “Well, she started it.”

“Is that how you handle all the town’s problems, Madam Mayor,” Emma asked jokingly.

“I’m ending what she started, Sheriff.” The deep voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Green eyes searched amber orbs for the real reason behind the childishness, “Regina.”

Regina rolled her eyes and looked away. “I’m not going to ruin her happy ending, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Please,” Emma chuckled as they resumed walking, “You’re not the Evil Queen anymore; you’re Regina. I don’t think you could bring yourself to do that if you tried.”

The blonde stared forward, but Regina stole a peek of the sincerity on her friend’s face. It was nice for someone besides Henry to have a vote of confidence in her, for once.


	3. Day 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina moved next to her, holding the blonde hair up off Emma’s shoulders, and smiled at what she saw in the mirror. Emma was stunning.  
> Emma watched the other woman’s facial expressions in the mirror, and smiled shyly when Regina smiled.  
> Brown eyes caught the green reflecting next to hers and she forgot herself for a moment before she spoke.  
> “If Rachel still thinks she won after this…” she wiggled her eyebrows and tilted her head, “Well, I’ll feel bad for Lily marrying a crazy woman.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Kudos and comments are super encouraging!  
> Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated so let me know what you're thinking!
> 
> Enjoy :)

Emma waltzed through the door, pulling her ear buds out, “Man, you should see the gym in this place. It’s amazing! And the pool is pretty much a massive tropical oasis.”

Regina looked up over the brim of her glasses and contorted her face in utter disgust before focusing back on the map before her.

The blonde stood in the middle of the room, completely drenched in sweat. Her hair was up in a pony tail, but a few wispies had escaped and were plastered to her forehead and cheeks. Her tank top was so soaked, Regina could clearly see the sports bra beneath it, and the water bottle in her hand was almost empty. Suffice to say Emma had a good workout.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed with the story book in her lap and a magnifying glass next to her, Regina analyzed the map in her hands.

“Did you find something,” Emma asked as she moved next to the bed to join Regina.

“It’s a stretch, but I think it’s worth checking out.” The older woman pointed to a spot on the map, “This area right here. The book-“

“Hey!” Green eyes widen with excitement. “That’s pretty close to where I stayed for the time I lived down here.” She began talking with her arms, “There’s this incredible buffet like two blocks down, or there _was_ anyway, and the dry cleaner next door was super friendly.”

Regina sniffed and wiggled her nose.

“He helped me out on more than one occasion,” Emma continued. “There was also a homeless guy that liked to sleep outside the building and he was so sweet. I tried to bring him food whenever I could."

The brunette narrowed her eyes, not really listening to the woman next to her.

“And the people down the street were complete assholes – always starting drama. One time-“

“You smell.” Regina couldn't keep it to herself any longer.

Emma crossed her arms, feigning offense, “Well, excuse me for exercising and wanting to stay fit.”

The deep voice chuckled, “If you didn't eat like a child, you wouldn't have to worry about it in the first place.”

“You will never get me to give up grilled cheese,” she declared as she strutted to the bathroom. “I’m taking a shower.”

“Thank you,” Regina muttered under her breath.

Just as the bathroom door was about to close, Emma popped her head back out, “You wouldn't happen to have an extra pair of black pants with you that I could maybe wear to the wedding... would you?”

“Miss Swan, are you telling me you didn't bring one piece of formal attire? Not even a simple pair of dress pants?” This idea baffled the mayor, who wore formal-wear even on her days off.

“Oh, cut the ‘Miss Swan’ crap,” she stated frankly. “How was I supposed to know we would be going to a wedding?"

“Common sense,” Regina leveled, “Should have told you to bring at least one outfit for a formal occasion.”

Emma opened the door and walked back into the room with her hands on her hips. “Just because you brought your entire wardrobe, doesn't mean that’s what normal people do when they travel.”

The older woman hopped off the bed, “I assure you, I did not bring my entire wardrobe.”

“Regina, you brought three giant suitcases big enough to fit the both of us.”

Realizing the blonde was probably right, she probably did bring way more clothes than necessary, Regina tried to change the focus of discussion. She let out an exasperated exhale, “You realize the longer it takes us to find the author, the longer it is before we get back home to Henry?” It was more a statement than a question.

“Yeah, I know.” The slightly taller woman pulled her shirt off over her head and walked to the bathroom once more in just her running pants and a sports bra, “Why do you think I asked if you had something I could borrow instead of suggesting a shopping trip?”

Regina glanced at the clock, “It’s already almost noon. Get in the shower and I’ll see if I have anything you can wear. You’re certainly not going anywhere near my clothes when you’re all sweaty and gross.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” as she waved an arm and bowed for show.

After a quick shower, Emma tried on dress after dress after dress. It seemed like Regina had a never ending collection of them, and they were all gorgeous. Most of them were shades of grey, red, or black, but there were a couple blue and purple in there too.

She emerged from the bathroom in dress number nine, one of Regina’s favorites. It was a simple red dress, very fitted, and had a keyhole in the front that sat deliciously between the blonde’s breasts. “What about this one?”

Regina’s brows shot to her hairline when she looked up. “Uh, it looks good,” she paused trying to figure out why the dress didn't look right, “But something’s off.”

Emma huffed, “Why can’t I just wear pants? I know you have like, six pairs of them here.”

“Seven, actually, but it doesn’t matter. You’re not going in black pants and a plain shirt.” She riffled through her clothing, pulling out all the remaining dresses except for one.

“Why not?”

Regina stopped what she was doing to turn and face the younger woman. “Because every woman there will inevitably be wearing a summery dress or black dress pants, and you need to stand out – not get lost in a sea of no fashion sense.” She pulled two more dresses before dropping the pile on the bed. “You can wear any of these.”

“What if I wanna wear that one?” Emma pointed to the only dress left hanging.

“No.”

“Why not,” the blonde repeated with a smirk that said she was purposely acting childish.

“Are you a two-year-old?” Regina huffed and stepped back to the closet, “That’s the one I’m wearing.”

Emma narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, “But it’s black…”

“Very good, Miss Swan. You know your colors.” She bent down to look through all the pairs of shoes in the closet. Out of eighteen pairs, only one belonged to Emma – the riding boots. There was no way in hell she would allow Emma to wear those things to the wedding. 

She reached for a pair of black pumps and handed them to the blonde, “Put these on.”

“You know you’re not supposed to wear black to a wedding,” green eyes eyeballed the shoes before conceding to Her Majesty’s wishes.

Regina stood up, “I’m wearing a white blazer over it.”

“You’re not supposed to wear white either.”

She looked up at Emma, now about four or five inches taller than before, with hands on her hips, “And how is that any different from all the men that wear a black suit and white shirt?”

Emma frowned, “You have a point,” before standing in front of the full length mirror to evaluate herself. She didn't look quite comfortable. “I’m not so sure about this.”

“Why?” Regina agreed, but she couldn't put a finger on why.

“I feel like I’m playing dress up,” she shrugged her shoulders.

The brunette looked the other woman up and down, “Is that not exactly what we’re doing?”

Emma turned to face Regina, “I know, I just… These dresses are beautiful, Regina, but they make me feel very ‘Madam Mayor’ and I want to be Emma Swan.”

Regina pursed her lips. Emma had hit the nail on the head. That was exactly why, despite looking incredible, Emma didn't look right in her dresses.

“Take it off,” she commanded the blonde, whose eyes widened at her bluntness. “We’re going shopping.”

***************************************************************************

Regina refused to even consider looking anywhere other than boutiques and upscale malls, but fortunately, thanks to Google, Emma located a mall relatively close to them that Regina approved. 

When they walked through the doors, she couldn't help but feel out of place. Every decoration, every staircase, even the extravagant bathrooms screamed money and class. 

She looked to the woman walking next to her, “Regina, we really don’t have to do this. I can just wear one of yours.”

“Believe me, Miss Swan,” the brunette began as she analyzed every person with disgust as they passed, “I don’t want to be here any more than you do.”

“What’s with this ‘Miss Swan’ crap? I thought we got rid of that.”

Regina halted the both of them, “Look around you, Emma. Your ‘eloquent’ language is not well tolerated in places like this,” she snapped quietly and continued walking. She seemed worried, uneasy.

That’s when Emma realized what was going on. Madam Mayor may live a comfortable lifestyle, but that was not where she was comfortable. Standing in the middle of that mall, surrounded by men and women who wore their money on their sleeves, Regina clearly felt out of place and had no desire to fit in there. 

She followed the older woman into the first store, and as she looked around, all she saw were dollar signs.

“Regina,” she nearly pleaded, “Really, I can just wear pants.”

Regina stopped walking once again and stood directly in front of Emma. “No, you can’t. You do that, and Rachel wins.”

Emma tilted her head and grinned.

“I will find you a dress, and then we can go back to finding the author.” She looked behind the blonde and spotted a mannequin that made her smile. She wrapped her fingers around Emma’s arm and made a beeline straight for it.

“Wha-,” Emma almost asked what she was doing, but based on the look of determination on Regina’s face, she figured she probably wouldn't get an answer anyway.

The brunette pulled what she presumed to be the correct size and held it up to get a better look.

Emma’s eyebrows nearly met in the middle of her forehead, “That doesn't seem a bit extravagant to you?”

“No.” Regina grabbed Emma’s arm once more and headed for the fitting room.

“You say ‘no’ to me a lot, you know that,” the blonde questioned jokingly.

“Yes,” was Regina’s only response as she pulled Emma’s arm along.

“Hey, there’s still a body dragging behind that arm,” Emma rolled her eyes.

When they arrived at the fitting room, Regina shoved the dress at Emma, “Put this on. I’ll be right back,” and walked away.

Sure enough, Regina had not only found the shoe department, but also found the perfect pair, in the right size, and was waiting for Emma by the time she came out of the fitting room with the dress on.

She handed Emma the black platform pumps that were almost identical to her own, except these gave Emma a little bit more height, “Here.”

The slightly taller woman leaned against the wall to slip on the pumps that would give her about six more inches. “I’m not so sure about this dress, Regina. I feel like it might be too flashy for a wedding.” She stood up tall and looked at herself in the mirror.

The dress was beautiful, no doubt. It was a gorgeous shade of red, high neckline, form fitting, and cut a couple inches above the knee. It had a dangerously high slit up the right leg, and the back was completely open with the exception of some lace running from shoulder to shoulder.

Regina moved next to her, holding the blonde hair up off Emma’s shoulders, and smiled at what she saw in the mirror. Emma was stunning. 

Emma watched the other woman’s facial expressions in the mirror, and smiled shyly when Regina smiled.

Brown eyes caught the green reflecting next to hers and she forgot herself for a moment before she spoke. 

“If Rachel still thinks she won after this…” she wiggled her eyebrows and tilted her head, “Well, I’ll feel bad for Lily marrying a crazy woman.”

The blonde laughed and looked down at the floor while backing away from the mirror, shaking her head.

“Alright, go take that off,” Regina dropped Emma’s hair and gestured to the perfect dress. “I saw some bathing suits I want to look at.”

Emma’s eyes opened wide and her eyebrows shot upwards in surprise.

“What?” Regina shrugged her shoulders, “If I’m stuck sharing a hotel room with you indefinitely, I should at least be able to relax in the spa.”

Green eyes widened and shot to the floor as Emma bowed her head and raised her hands in surrender. She wasn't about to argue with the woman clearly in charge.


	4. Day 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It was incredibly stupid,” she spoke much calmer and softer.  
> “I know,” the green-eyed protector admitted.  
> Regina briefly glanced over as they walked, “You’re an idiot.”  
> “I know that too,” she replied lightly with a soft laugh.  
> There was a momentary pause in conversation before Regina spoke again, almost whispering.  
> “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading. I wasn't sure about this story at first, but I've gotten a lot of positive feedback where I've posted it, so thank you!
> 
> Enjoy :)

“No way!” Emma stopped dead in her tracks.

Regina took a couple more steps before she stopped and turned around to find a goofy smile on the blonde’s face.

“I can’t believe he’s still here!” Emma took a step forward and tapped Regina’s arm, but her eyes never left their focus in the distance. “I found lunch,” she declared as she resumed walking.

The older woman frowned and followed, “I hope you’re not talking about the trailer you’re currently ogling.”

“It’s a street vendor, Regina,” the blonde corrected.

Regina shook her head, “No, thank you.”

“But it’s the best thing you will ever taste in your life,” she stated as fact.

“No.”

“Ok, fine,” Emma nodded, “But I’m not passing it up.”

A few more steps and she reached the window, “Cupid?”

The man behind the counter looked up, “Emma!? Come here, come here,” he waved as he ripped off his gloves, stepped out of the trailer, and pulled Emma into a friendly hug. He then held her out at arm’s length to inspect his old friend, “How are you doing? You look like you’re doing pretty good, Kid.”

Emma was all smiles, “I am! I am.”

He shifted his attention to the woman standing next to her, “And who’s this beautiful lady? Is this your girlfriend?”

She held her hand out, presenting the finely dressed woman standing next to her, “This is Regina. Regina,” she gestured to the man, “Cupid.”

Regina was puzzled, “You’re named after a chubby baby with wings and a bow and arrow?”

“Not exactly,” he chuckled. “Most people call me Lenny.” He offered his hand to shake, which Regina politely accepted.

“His name is Valentine, so I always called him Cupid,” Emma explained, clearly proud of her clever nickname. “I saw the trailer and thought it was too good to be true until I saw you behind the counter,” she gestured to Lenny, “There is no way I’m leaving here until I get one of these hot dogs.

The middle-aged man chuckled again, “Coming right up.”

Emma turned to her companion, “Are you sure you don’t want one, Regina.”

“I’m good,” she grinned.

The younger woman shifted her weight on her feet, “What if you just try a bite of mine? If you like it, you can have it, and I’ll just get another one.”

Emma paused and Regina just stared at her.

“Seriously,” she hung her hands on her pockets, “These are life changing hot dogs.”

Lenny handed Emma her hot dog and before taking a bite of her prized food, she held it out in offering to Regina.

The older woman rolled her eyes and smirked as she surprised Emma by trying a bite without taking it from her hands. She stared at Emma and tried not to smile and acknowledge that the blonde was right. What she was tasting was, in fact, heavenly.

Emma smiled ear to ear, “One more, Cupid.”

“Girl, you think that’s good? You should try my hot dog,” a creepy man suggested from about ten feet away from Lenny’s business as he licked his lips and patted his lap.

Regina was horrified and couldn't quite believe someone was talking to her so disrespectfully, but when she turned around… Sure enough the man was completely focused on her “assets”.

“Excuse me?” She asked in disbelief.

Emma had dealt with a lot of guys like this before, not just in Tallahassee, but in most of the places she had lived. They were no good, low-lives who thrived on making women feel uncomfortable. 

“Screw off, buddy.” She knew it was best to tell them to get lost and walk away rather than engaged with them.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Regina didn't feel the same way. She had also dealt with a few people like that and knew that they were the cowardly human beings. They liked to pretend they had power and control from a distance, but as soon as you challenged them, they rarely fought back because they knew they didn't actually have any sense of authority of you.

The man rose to his feet, his ego clearly having taken a blow from a woman standing up to him, but Regina still wasn't feeling threatened.

She took two steps closer to him, “You come down here and prey on innocent women, and that makes you feel like a man?”

“Regina,” Emma set down the hot dog and stepped closer to her friend, “Come on, it’s not worth it.”

The brunette waved her off and continued speaking. “You see me as a piece of meat dangling in front of your face that you think you’re entitled to.”

“Regina, really…” Emma tried again, but Regina wasn't listening.

“Well, I've got news for you,” she wiggled a finger, “No woman gets up in the morning and gets dressed for the pathetic pig harassing them by the food cart when they’re just trying to get something to eat.”

Emma could physically see the rather large man getting irritated and knew it was time to go. She placed a hand gently on Regina’s arm, “Come on.”

The two women turned to walk away when the man finally found the courage to talk back.

“Learn to control your bitch, Blondie.”

Without pause, Emma turned around and despite being about half a foot shorter, cold-cocked him right in the temple and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Regina’s mouth fell open in shock as she watched the man’s body fall limply at her defender’s feet. 

The younger woman placed a hand on Regina’s back and guided them away from the scene and back to the counter. 

After handing Regina her hot dog, she reached for her wallet, but Lenny shook his head, “On the house, Kid.”

She gave a grateful grin, “Thanks,” before grabbing the second hot dog and walking away.

They had walked for about seven seconds in complete silence; Regina was still stunned by Emma’s physical outburst. As long as she had known Emma, she was never really one to resort to violence unless absolutely necessary and it caught Regina off guard every time. 

“Are you crazy?!” Regina finally voiced her thoughts.

Emma said nothing, simply took another bite.

“You could have gotten arrested, Emma!” She started waving her hands the way she did whenever she got keyed up. “We’re not in Storybrooke! I’m not the mayor of Tallahassee; I can’t just demand your arresting officer release you and pretend like nothing happened. What were you thinking?!”

“I wasn't,” Emma answered honestly. Regina was right. She could have very easily been arrested and without the safety net of being in a town that the rest of the world didn't know existed, it could have ended much worse. “I heard him call you a bitch and I just reacted.”

Regina took a moment to process the confession. 

Sure, her father did his best to try to protect her from her mother, but she couldn't think of one person, not even Daniel, who had stood up for her the way Emma just had. 

“It was incredibly stupid,” she spoke much calmer and softer.

“I know,” the green-eyed protector admitted.

Regina briefly glanced over as they walked, “You’re an idiot.”

“I know that too,” she replied lightly with a soft laugh.

There was a momentary pause in conversation before Regina spoke again, almost whispering. 

“Thank you.”

Emma, once again, said nothing, only gave Regina a soft grin with an implied “any time”.

Only a few minutes later, they had run into another man who got a bit too comfortable way too quickly. Or rather, he ran into them. It was a ploy he used to pick up women – he would set his dog off running in their direction as an excuse to start talking to them. Except, it hadn't run as smoothly as it did in the past.

“Well, that didn't exactly go as planned,” the blonde noted as they shuffled into their hotel room.

She gently laid down on Regina’s side of the bed, trying diligently not to make the pounding in her head even worse, and Regina frowned. 

“Yeah, I’m really sorry,” the brunette repeated for the sixth time as she set her purse down. “I’m gonna go see if I can find some ice.” 

Before Emma could tell her to stop apologizing, Regina was already in the hall in search of an ice machine.

She thought back to the chain of events that cut their productivity short that day… They only got in a couple hours of searching for the author before lunch, then they had the creepy guy by Lenny’s stand catcalling Regina. Then, there was the guy with the dog.

At least the second guy was semi attractive, but there was still something off about him. His focus on Regina had made both women feel extremely uneasy. When Regina politely tried to decline his request for a date, he only became more persistent. He was cocky and had trouble accepting that not every woman on the face of the planet wanted to go out with him.

Emma let Regina defend herself because she knew the brunette was fully capable, but there was a moment when Regina reached for Emma’s hand, almost hiding behind her… Emma saw her face. 

Regina had shared some stories with her about things that happened in the Enchanted Forest, and while she didn't know a lot of specifics about her friend’s marriage to the king, she knew enough to recognize the look of absolute terror on her face. It was the same look that she had every time she told Emma something about the king that she had never shared with anyone else. 

This man wasn't a coward like the first man they dealt with earlier in the day; he knew what he wanted and had no qualms about simply taking it.

Yes, Regina was perfectly capable of holding her own against the man, but when Emma recognized what was happening in Regina’s mind, there was no way in hell she could keep herself from stepping between them.

“I found some,” Regina entered the room again, holding up a small bag of ice.

Emma snapped out of her train of thought as the shorter woman walked over to her and handed her the ice, “Thanks.”

The blonde held the ice in her right hand and raised it to her cheek before grunting in pain and switching hands. Not only was her hand swollen from punching the creepy guy, but the second guy’s dog had knocked Regina off balance and she had reached for Emma to stabilize herself, except Emma wasn't prepared. They both went tumbling, and when they hit the ground, Regina’s elbow landed on Emma’s face, resulting in a very clear black and blue.

Regina took the ice bag back in her hands and sat down next to Emma on the bed. “I’m really sorry,” she held the ice on Emma’s cheek as the younger woman winced.

“You can stop apologizing,” Emma assured her.

She held the ice with one hand and inspected Emma’s swollen knuckles with the other, “But it’s my fault.”

“Using my face to break your fall,” green eyes narrowed as she joked, “Yeah that’s your fault, but punching the other guy – that was all me.”

“You were defending me,” Regina stated quietly as she moved her inspection to Emma’s cheek. “I mean, you’re like my knight in shining armor today, saving me from the male species.” They both chuckled before she continued. “You know what they say… ‘Bad things come in th-‘”

Emma raised a hand and cut her off, “Don’t even think about finishing that sentence with any number higher than two.”

Both women chuckled again. 

“Besides,” Emma rested her hands on her stomach, “Those men could just be the author throwing potential happy endings at you.”

She raised her hand to hold the ice and Regina moved to lay down on the other side of the bed. 

The queen turned on her side to face her knight, “I don’t think so.” 

***************************************************************************

Almost three hours later, she woke to a bag of cold water that had fallen to rest on her shoulder. She glanced over on the bed and found Regina still facing her, resting peacefully, dark hair sprawled across the pillow. Despite having the privilege of seeing Regina in her less formal moments, she had never seen the mayor so relaxed. The politician was not only a queen in the Enchanted Forest, but in the real world, she was the queen of convincing the world that she was invincible.

But Emma knew. She always knew.

Every time Regina pretended she wasn't hurt, every time she pretended she only cared about herself and Henry, every time she pretended not to hear the hateful comments that the people of Storybrooke muttered as she passed by… Emma saw right through that mask. Every time.

It was nice to see Regina not being stronger than she needed to be, even if it was only because she was sleeping.

Emma slowly sat up, making sure not to disturb the woman next to her, and looked around the room for pen and paper.

Twenty minutes later, Emma sat in the hot tub, hair in a bun on top of her head, with her back pressed against one of the jets, head tipped back, and eyes closed.

“I got your note,” a deep voice intruded the quiet.

Emma’s head whipped up and her eyes darted open in surprise, searching for the velvet voice she would recognize anywhere.

Regina chuckled, “Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.” She padded over to the hot tub with her arms wrapped around herself, keeping her robe closed tightly.

The younger woman huffed and smiled.

“I got the note you left on the pillow,” Regina stated as she kicked off her sandals. “Thought I’d take you up on your offer,” she let her robe fall off her shoulders, but she seemed to be waiting for Emma’s permission to continue.

Emma nodded, “I’m glad you did. It was getting a kinda lonely all by myself.”

The dark-haired woman took her robe off completely, revealing a white, strapless one-piece, but the entire middle was full of cutouts – sort of resembling really thick lace. It made Emma’s simple, black bikini look boring.

“How long have you been down here?” Regina slid into the steaming water just far enough away that Emma’s arms along the back didn't quite reach her.

“Just a few minutes. You must have woken up right after I left.” She tilted her head back again and closed her eyes and Regina did the same.

After a few moments of quiet, Regina spoke up, “You can sleep in the bed if you want.”

“Ok,” was Emma’s only response. She let a small grin escape her lips, but Regina never saw it. 

The silence was comfortable; they didn't feel the need to fill it with pointless conversation. They simply relaxed and recharged, knowing that they weren't alone.


	5. Day 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I think it’s time to reevaluate your standards,” Emma stated frankly. “Imperfections are beautiful, Regina. They’re not failures. They are what make me, me and you, you.”  
> “Well,” the older woman huffed and raised her eyebrows, “I have a lot of them.  
> “And that’s what makes you the beautiful Regina Mills sitting in front of me now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking with me and continuing to read this fic! I really appreciate the support I've gotten.  
> Sorry this chapter took so much longer than the others, I just had a few super busy days that didn't leave much time for writing.
> 
> As always, I love comments and constructive criticism!
> 
> Enjoy :)

Regina speared a grape with her fork and gave a surprised grin when she looked up. 

Emma stood in front of her, still in her pajamas, holding a breakfast danish. “I guess they _do_ give you free food,” she surmised as she sat in the seat opposite the other woman. “I got your note on the pillow… You’re welcome for that idea, by the way.”

“Dear,” the brunette set her fork down, “I've been leaving you a note every morning. You just never wake up before I get back.”

“Well, I did today.” She was so proud of herself.

“Yes,” Regina nodded her head, “And it has me baffled.”

Emma shrugged her shoulders and her lips formed a tight grin, “I slept well last night.”

A deep giggle filled the air, “Probably because I didn't make you sleep on the floor.”

“I've never really had trouble sleeping anywhere. Give me a remotely horizontal surface and I’m good to go.” The blonde shrugged her shoulders again and bit into her Danish.

Regina picked up her glass of water and sipped it. “So when the inevitable moment comes when I kick you out of bed for doing something stupid, I won’t have to feel bad about it.”

“Well, that backfired…,” the younger woman muttered and Regina laughed at her. It was the laugh Regina rarely allowed herself to enjoy and it made Emma smile in return.

She watched as Regina cut her last piece of fruit into small bites and realized that despite being away from home, the brown-eyed beauty was in full-on mayor mode – fully dressed, hair done, healthy breakfast – so proper. Emma had been lucky enough on a couple occasions for Regina to let her guard down and relax, but at that moment, she had the full suit of armor on that she wore for the rest of the world.

“Have you ever just… had cake for breakfast, or even a doughnut? I've seen boxes of doughnuts on your kitchen counter, but do you ever actually eat them?”

“What does that have to do with anything,” Regina asked before popping a piece of fruit in her mouth.

Emma took a deep breath, “We are here, in a hotel where no one knows us, in a city on the opposite end of the country from home, and yet you still look like you’re headed to the office after breakfast.”

Dark eyebrows scrunched in genuine concern, “Is there something wrong with that?”

A couple years ago, Regina wouldn't have given any weight to Emma’s opinions, but as they ever-so-slowly grew closer, she began to pay more and more attention to them. Now, she very much valued Emma’s opinions… probably more than she should have.

“No, of course not,” Emma reassured her, “But it must be tiring being so put together all the time. Do you ever just play hooky, take a walk in the rain, sleep in the nude?”

Regina’s brows shot to her hairline at the last part of Emma’s sentence.

Emma giggled at her company’s reaction. “I mean, I wore this,” she leaned back in her chair and gestured to her t-shirt and running shorts, “Last night out of common courtesy just so you wouldn't be uncomfortable.”

Regina blushed at the thought of sleeping next to a naked Emma, which she tried to pretend wasn't happening by focusing on her food.

“But really,” she tamed her laughter, “You don’t have to try to be perfect all the time. You’re human; you’re allowed to have flaws without feeling like you have to hide them every second of your life. And for God’s sake, you’re allowed to wear sweatpants to breakfast.”

Her attempt to end on a lighter note wasn't quite as successful as she hoped. Regina gave up a small, sad grin, but said nothing.

Emma saw confliction clouding the amber orbs across from her, but didn't want to push too hard. “It’s ok to let people see your imperfections.”

Regina stared down at her plate in silence for a moment before she said anything. “Emma, I was a teenager when I was forced to marry the king.”

“I know,” she replied, instantly infuriated.

They briefly made eye contact before Regina looked away again. “And you met my mother.”

Emma huffed in exasperation, “Yeah,” before finishing her food.

“When you’re Queen, there is a certain level of expectation that needs to be met.” Her eyes danced around the room, unable to match Emma’s. “You always have to wear extravagant clothing, have neat hair, give the illusion that your life is absolutely everything anyone could ever dream of having.” She glanced up quickly, finding Emma’s eyes train on her. “People meet you and expect it to be like the happily ever after stories they've all heard as children. Most of them will never get the fairytale happy ending, so they look to the palace for hope. It’s much less about how much they actually like you as a ruler as it is about owning that status. If you are anything less than their expectations, they don’t think you’re fit for royalty.” The woman paused briefly. “Whether the great King Leopold’s queen or the Evil Queen, the rules never changed.“

She looked up for a moment to gauge Emma’s reaction, but the blonde simply waited for her to continue.

“You can’t show weakness or people pick at it and pick at it until they've completely desecrated every fiber of your being.” She played with the last piece of food on her plate. “There is no such thing as an ugly or fat queen in the Enchanted Forest; there is no such thing as a queen who leaves her chambers in anything other than full garb. There is no such thing as a queen who laughs inappropriately or doesn't do exactly as the king wishes.” Her shoulders rose and fell as she breathed. “There is no such thing as a queen that is anything less than perfect, and do you know why that is?”

She finally lifted her eyes again as Emma remained focus completely on her.

“Because they are replaced at the drop of a hat.” She inhaled and looked back down at her plate, “One flick of the king’s wrist and you go from queen of the land to living the rest of your days in a dungeon until the king decides it’s time for your execution.”

Emma leaned forward and crossed her arms on the table, “We’re not in the Enchanted Forest, Regina.”

“That doesn't make those values any less carved into my brain,” the brunette lifted her hand and pointed to her head before dropping it back down on her lap. “It’s not something I actively strive for; it’s habit. And it may not be what people here expect of me, but it’s still the only standard I ever knew.”

“I think it’s time to reevaluate your standards,” Emma stated frankly. “Imperfections are beautiful, Regina. They’re not failures. They are what make me, me and you, you.”

“Well,” the older woman huffed and raised her eyebrows, “I have a lot of them.

“And that’s what makes you the beautiful Regina Mills sitting in front of me now.”

Regina looked at Emma in disbelief.

Had the blonde just told her she was beautiful or was she saying she was a beautiful person? Either way, those were words she never expected to hear out of anyone’s mouth, much less Emma Swan’s.

Emma looked around the room. There was an elderly couple, a few businessmen each sitting by themselves, and a young family enjoying breakfast. They all looked so content in their lives – just carrying on conversation as another day started.

She thought about how simple their lives all appeared to be and wished Regina’s could be the same. After all the crap Regina Mills had endured in her life, she deserved to be happy. She deserved an uncomplicated life full of smiles and laughter and easy breakfasts.

Her eyes floated back to the brunette in front of her who was apparently thinking the same thing as she also scanned the room.

Emma looked again to the elderly couple and the young family and realized it would be naïve of her to think those lives weren't filled with sad stories and jumping hurdles. She glanced down at the table and realized that to the lone businessmen, she and Regina probably looked no different than the couple and the family. They just appeared to be enjoying breakfast on a quiet Wednesday morning, yet there was so much more to their story.

***************************************************************************

“I’m good. You almost ready?” Emma zipped her boots and stood up from the bed.

“Just give me a minute,” Regina called out, doing her best to hurry up. “You monopolized the bathroom so I’m still trying to do my makeup.”

Emma walked to the bathroom and leaned in the doorway looking perplexed, “You weren't wearing any at breakfast?”

“No.”

“Woah,” she whispered under her breath.

She stood like a statue, watching Regina apply her eye shadow.

Finding it distracting, the brunette paused what she was doing and looked at Emma in the mirror, “Are you going to stand there and creepily stare at me until I finish?”

Emma shifted her weight and crossed her ankles. “You know, I've seen you as the Evil Queen, and I see you now…” 

She waited a moment before continuing, trying to gauge the mayor’s reaction to the topic, but the older woman resumed her task at hand.

“I have this image of you when you were younger. Just a sweet, innocent girl with an open heart and a thirst for love, and there’s this… disconnect I have a hard time fully grasping.” She searched for the right words to explain her lack of understanding, but had trouble expressing exactly what she meant. “I mean, I know a lot of the horrible things that happened to you from what you've told me, but I just can’t picture how that adorable little girl turned into probably the most powerful dark sorceress the Enchanted Forest ever saw.”

Regina glanced over at the curious green eyes. “It’s a long story.”

The younger woman crossed her arms, “I’m not going anywhere.”

Regina applied her last coat of mascara before answering Emma who waited oh-so-patiently.

“What it boils down to is Rumple and my mother. Don’t get me wrong, I am responsible for my actions, but I definitely got a few pushes along the way.”

Blonde eyebrows furrowed, “What does that mean?”

Regina closed her makeup bag and turned to the other woman. “When I first used magic, I asked Rumple if it would make me be like my mother and he said that would depend on me.” Her voice suddenly filled with venom, “And then he only ever taught me dark magic and manipulated me into using it. My mother literally ripped out her own heart so she would be able to do whatever was necessary to get to the throne, which turned out to be trapping me into marrying the king.”

Emma stepped aside so Regina could get to the closet.

“So pretty much, the Evil Queen was born when Rumple used your hatred of what your mother willingly did to you to drive you to perform dark magic.” She meant it as a statement of what she understood, but it sounded like a question.

“It wasn't just that though.” The brunette stood from putting her high heels on. “As I said, my actions were my own and I’m responsible for everything I did, but I learned two important lessons from them that really shaped what I became.”

Emma held up Regina’s blazer, helping her into it one arm at a time.

“Magic is power and love is weakness.” Regina stated firmly. She couldn't bring herself to look Emma in the eye, so her eyes bounced around the room. “Rumple taught me that magic was power in a world where I had none, and my mother taught me that love was weakness at a time when my heart was filled with grief over losing Daniel.”

She hung her head low and fidgeted with her hands.

“You know that’s not true though. Right?” Emma ducked her head slightly, trying to get Regina to look at her, but the brown eyes never lifted. 

“It sure seemed it at the time.”

The blonde moved farther into the room and turned back around, “Magic always comes at a price, just look at where it landed Gold.”

“I almost feel sorry for him.” The deep voice snickered as a barely perceptible grin formed on her lips.

Emma noticed and hoped she had brought Regina out of the funk she had fallen into all because of her own curiosity about how a young girl became the Evil Queen. 

“And love isn't weakness, Regina.”

The reformed villain plopped down on the bed and huffed, “Well…” 

“I know,” she took a seat next to her friend, “I sometimes have a hard time accepting it too, but love is strength.”

Dark eyebrows rose, “Love left me devastated and willing to do anything for revenge.”

“And it’s also driven you to become who you are now.” Emma turned her body towards Regina, tucking one leg underneath herself. “You did it all for Henry.”

Dark hair fell with dark eyes as she dropped her head again. “Do you think I’m hurting him? Doing this?”

“I think he knows he shouldn't be solely responsible for your happiness for the rest of your life,” the blonde answered truthfully.

“I just don’t want him to feel like he’s not enough.” The older woman knew what it was like to never be enough for her mother and that was the last feeling she wanted to instill in Henry.

“Regina, just because you want a companion in life, doesn't mean you love our son any less; it doesn't make you a bad mother.” 

Regina finally looked up at her when she placed a supportive hand on the brunette’s leg. 

“It doesn't mean Henry is any less important to you, and I think he knows that. He just wants his mom to be happy.” 

Emma stood up and held out her hand to pull Regina up off the bed, “So what do you say we help him out with that?”

She smiled and accepted the blonde’s hand.

Emma reciprocated the smile and reached for her keys. 

“Leave your keys, we’re walking.”

She tossed the keys on the bed and followed the queen out the door, “But we walked yesterday.”

“And look at that, you’re still alive.”


	6. Day 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re such a politician with your semantics,” the blonde stated frankly.  
> “Ah,” Regina tilted her head and grinned, “But I didn't lie to you,” before sitting back down on the bed.  
> “Silver lining, I guess.” Emma rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling for a moment, thinking.  
> “You really wouldn't get rid of my porn?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit shorter, for which, I apologize, but I didn't just want to write pointless words just to make it longer. I find that annoying. And I know that the last part is technically day 7, but I feel like if you're not actually awake then it doesn't really count.  
> Anyway, keep the comments coming!
> 
> Enjoy :)

“Oh my God, I think I’m dying.” Emma confessed, clutching her stomach as they entered the hotel room after dinner.

Regina followed her, walking in with an I-told-you-so attitude, “Uh-huh.”

Hobbling over to the bed, Emma tried again to gain the queen’s sympathy. “No really, Regina, I think this is the end,” she mumbled before she planted face first on Regina’s side of the bed.

“Move over, that’s my side,” Regina demanded, but Emma merely rolled on her side, not even reaching the center of the bed.

She watched as Regina dropped her purse and hung her sweater, “When I kick it, I need you to do one thing for me.”

“You’re pathetic,” the brunette deadpanned as she sat in the spot occupied by Emma only moments ago, so close that Regina’s back pushed into Emma’s torso.

Emma propped her head up with one hand, “There’s a box in the back of my closet…”

Regina didn't need to let Emma finish her sentence to know what she was asking. “I’m not getting rid of your porn stash.”

The blonde looked up at her friend surprised, “My mom would drop dead if she found it.”

The older woman smiled and exhaled, “Two birds, one stone,” before checking her phone for missed messages.

“You’re a horrible fake girlfriend,” Emma shook her head.

“I’m not your fake girlfriend.” She padded to the suitcases, grabbed a couple things then moved behind Emma’s back, out of her line of sight. “Not until Saturday, anyway.”

Emma tilted her head, mouth gaping. “Heartless.”

Regina spoke from behind her, but Emma didn't move and waited for her to come back into view.

“I told you not to get that ice cream in the first place. If you had listened to me, you would feel perfectly fine right now. Even Henry told you not to before we hung up.”

“But how could I say no?” She picked up her arm and dropped it over-dramatically.

“It was an ice cream for five, Emma,” Regina reasoned as she walked back around the her side of the bed, now in a tank top and pajama shorts – both of which belonged to the younger woman. “You could have just gotten a cone. Or at least something meant for one person.”

Emma recognized her clothing on Regina, but didn't mention it. She was glad the brunette felt comfortable enough to wear something so casual, and her toned, Latina legs made Emma’s shorts look even better.

“You were supposed to help me eat it. Half of it was chunky monkey.” Green eyes couldn't stop themselves from raking over the body before them.

“I did help you,” Regina folded her arms over her chest.

“Two bites do not qualify as ‘helping’.”

“Yes it does.” She raised a finger momentarily, “I never specified how much I would eat, just that I would have some.”

Emma rolled her eyes, “Ok _Madam Mayor_.”

Madam Mayor’s hands jetted to her hips, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re such a politician with your semantics,” the blonde stated frankly.

“Ah,” Regina tilted her head and grinned, “But I didn't lie to you,” before sitting back down on the bed.

“Silver lining, I guess.” Emma rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling for a moment, thinking. 

“You really wouldn't get rid of my porn?”

Regina threw the younger woman a look over her shoulder before Emma’s stomach rumbled.

Brown eyes widened as her face contorted in disgust before pushing Emma farther to the opposite side of the bed.

“If you’re going to vomit, at least do it on your side,” she pleaded as she made her way to the bathroom.

Emma moaned in discomfort as she turned on her side, away from the other woman. “Your compassion is overwhelming,” she said dryly.

Regina then appeared in front of her. “You did this to yourself, Dear,” she spoke softly as she set the trash bucket on the floor right below Emma’s head.

She strolled back around and situated the pillows perfectly so she could comfortably sit and read, but she wasn't even able to finish a full page before Emma flipped to face her and waited to be acknowledged.

“What?” Her eyes never left the book.

“D’ya wanna watch a movie?”

Regina turned her eyes to find the same hopeful smile on Emma’s face that Henry had every time he asked for more dessert. The smile that she was never able to say “no” to.

She tried to suppress her own grin, but looked away when she found herself unable to do so. “Do you realize how much hotels charge for movies?”

Emma got up and strode to her suitcase, which was really more of a duffle bag, “Good thing I brought some.”

It was Henry’s suggestion. His mom loved Disney movies, but she would never openly admit to it. He named a few of the brunette’s favorites and Emma had made a mental note to grab them before they left. 

She would have to remember to thank him when they got back.

She pulled out the three that Henry listed, leaving the rest in the bag, and held them up so Regina could see, “Which one?”

“Doesn't matter to me,” she shrugged from the bed.

Emma dropped her arms momentarily. “Well, I narrowed it down to these three,” she held the movies up again, “So you have to pick one.”

“Uh,” dark hair swayed gently as Regina shook her head. “How to Train Your Dragon. Or Lion King II,” she added quickly.

Emma remembered the one Henry said was Regina’s all-time favorite. “Lion King II it is.”

The older woman set her book on the nightstand, pulled the blankets over her lap and folded her hands together, trying not to appear too excited.

Emma noticed and simply grinned as she popped the movie in and dove under the covers.

Throughout the movie, Emma couldn't help but look over at Regina. The way those amber eyes were glued to the screen, invested in every moment… it was adorable. Even between yawns, Regina’s attention never faltered. 

By the rolling credits, Regina had slowly slid down in the bed so far that she was lying down completely and so cocooned in the blankets it was clear Emma would be getting up to put the next movie in.

“What are we watching now?” The deep, velvet voice had somehow fallen deeper as Regina yawned for probably the twentieth time that night.

“Whatever I put in,” Emma joked as she switched the DVD’s. “Unless you want to choose again.”

Regina shook her head.

“That’s what I thought,” the blonde chuckled as she turned the lights off and retrieved her blanket from the closet.

She knew Regina wouldn't last through the second movie so she got everything ready for bed so she wouldn't have to get up again once she laid down.

The first night Regina had allowed Emma to sleep in the bed, the blonde learned an important piece of information – Regina was a serious blanket hog. 

They had fallen asleep sharing the blankets, as would be expected, but only a couple hours into the night, Emma had woken up freezing because Regina had taken all the blankets. On top of that, the air conditioner was on because Regina liked the room to be cool while she slept… probably because she loved to bundle under hundreds of pounds of blankets.

After that, Emma knew to make sure she had the extra blanket close by because she wasn't going to get much use of the ones already on the bed.

She crawled into bed, pressed play, and watched Regina’s eyelids fall heavily as she attempted to fight off sleep.

Emma knew the woman next to her wouldn't stay awake much longer.

And she was right.

After smacking Emma’s arm for putting in the movie that always made her cry, Up, the queen rolled on her side towards the center of the bed and succumbed to sleep.

***************************************************************************

It was 1:14am when Emma woke up and the main menu loop was still playing on the screen. She only lasted a few minutes longer than Regina had before she too fell asleep. 

As expected, Regina had rolled away to the opposite side of the bed, taking the entire comforter with her. She was however, kind enough to leave the sheet, which was more than she had done the night before. 

Emma turned the TV off and reached for the extra blanket she had set on the floor next to her before flinging it over her body and falling right back to sleep.

At 1:52am Emma woke again, this time shivering. She blindly reached to the floor for the extra blanket, forgetting she already grabbed it earlier, and was confused when she couldn't find it. 

She opened one sleepy eye and searched the floor in the dark, and when she saw nothing there, she turned her eye over to Regina. That’s when she got clarification. 

Regina, who had kicked the comforter and sheets to the floor, was snuggled in with Emma’s blanket. 

The blonde made an attempt to pull some of the covers from Regina but it only backfired. The older woman tightened her grip and pulled them farther away.

Emma was freezing. She hated being cold; she was desperate for warmth. She scooted close to the sleeping body in front of her and tried to squeeze under the twelve or so inches of blanket Regina hadn't yet claimed. That would have to do.

Moments later, Emma fell asleep once more.

Regina must have subconsciously preferred body heat to the warmth of the blanket because she unconsciously shifted into Emma. She laid on her stomach, arms tucked under her with her head resting on the blonde’s arm. Emma laid on her side and as soon as Regina snuggled into her, she wrapped her free arm around the brunette and pulled her closer.

Had one of them been awake in the slightest, they surely would have separated themselves and pretended nothing ever happened, but they remained in that position comfortably for the rest of the night.


	7. Day 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Fine,” she caved as she retrieved the hoodie and wrapped herself in it, absent-mindedly snuggling into it and taking a deep breath.  
> “Better?” The blonde asked with a smug grin.  
> Regina tried to suppress a smile, but as usual around Emma, she couldn't hide it.  
> “Shut up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last day before the wedding! A bit more cuteness and fluffiness because there is no such thing as too much swan queen adorableness.  
> I love when you guys leave your thoughts in the comments!
> 
> Enjoy :)

Regina slowly crept into consciousness as she stretched her body, arching her back into Emma, but the blonde didn't budge. She breathed deeply and moaned in contentment before opening her eyes barely enough to register the light pouring through the window.

It was brighter than normal.

For as long as she could remember, Regina couldn't sleep passed 6:00am. In her younger years, it was because her mother would wake her up – sleeping in was for the lazy. After she moved into the castle, she never slept well, and often rose before the sun. 

She lifted her head just enough to read the clock on the nightstand – 9:19 – and squinted her eyes before looking at the sleeping woman who still had an arm wrapped around the brunette’s torso.

“Get up.”

When Emma still didn't budge, Regina nudged her with her elbow and tried again. “Get up,” she spoke a bit louder in her sleepy voice.

The younger woman grunted and tightened her grip.

Regina gently pushed away and moved to get out of bed, “We’re going to miss breakfast.”

“Time s’it,” Emma asked as she rolled onto her back, not yet fully awake.

“9:20,” Regina switched the shorts she was wearing for a pair of sweatpants, which also belonged to Emma. “Breakfast ends at 10:00; we’ll be lucky if there’s anything good left by the time we get down there.”

Regina brushed her teeth while Emma took a deep breath, rolled out of bed, and threw on hoodie and a pair of slippers she hid in her bag.

“Ready?”

Running her fingers through her dark waves, she nodded her head.

“Sweet,” Emma opened the door for Regina. “Let’s go get some free food.”

A few minutes later they stepped up to the only remaining table with food on it, plates in hand.

“I told you there wouldn't be anything good left.”

“Excuse me, Your Majesty, but as I recall, I am not the only one who slept in this morning. And plus, the younger woman held up an apple filled danish, “Not _all_ the good stuff is gone." 

She set the danish on her plate, reached for the cinnamon shaker at the end of the table, and sprinkled it all over her breakfast pastry. “Perfect.”

Regina scrunched her nose in disgust at Emma’s choice as she scooped the last of the fruit salad.

“Just wait,” Emma nodded. “Try a bite and you’ll wipe that look off your face.”

Dark brows rose in disbelief while the two of them made their way to an empty table.

“Remember the hot dog? I’m never wrong about food.”

“Ok.” Regina set down her plate down and looked the blonde dead in the eye with a smirk gracing her lips. “Whose lasagna is better – mine or Granny’s?”

Emma shrugged at the simplicity of the question. “Yours, obviously,” she answered as she set her plate down and seated herself.

Madam Mayor eyed her for a moment before taking her seat. “Good answer.”

Almost instantly, Regina began rubbing her arms.

“Cold,” Emma inquired with food in her mouth.

“I don’t remember it being Greenland down here yesterday,” the older woman spat.

“Yesterday, you were fully clothed; today, just a tank top and sweatpants,” she said before swallowing her food. “Do you want my hoodie?”

“No, thank you,” Regina brushed off Emma’s chivalry as goosebumps covered her arms. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not; you’re shivering.” She unzipped her hoodie and held it out to the stubborn Latina, “Here, just take it.”

Regina looked at her like she was stupid, “Now you’ll be cold.” She shook her head, “I’m fine. I don’t need it.”

“Ok well, if you don’t want it, then it’s gunna sit right here on the floor,” Emma dropped the sweatshirt. “‘Cause I’m not putting it back on. 

Regina pursed her lips and gave Emma the same look as every time she told the blonde she was acting like a child, but Emma remained strong. “It’s up to you.”

Regina rolled her big brown eyes dramatically. 

“Fine,” she caved as she retrieved the hoodie and wrapped herself in it, absent-mindedly snuggling into it and taking a deep breath.

“Better?” The blonde asked with a smug grin.

Regina tried to suppress a smile, but as usual around Emma, she couldn't hide it. 

“Shut up.”

Knowing she should take the win and run, Emma laughed at her companion and she changed the subject. “So what’s on the agenda?”

Regina leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs, “I think maybe we should just take the day off.” She played with the hem of the sweatshirt, “We just keep hitting a dead end everywhere we look. Maybe we should just… take today and tomorrow to regroup and we can start with fresh eyes on Sunday.”

“Ok. But, uh,” Emma seemed almost hesitant to mention it, “Speaking of tomorrow… we need to come up with a solid story.”

“Why?” Regina popped a piece of cantaloupe in her mouth.

“So how did you two meet,” Emma asked in some weird voice she was obviously using to denote she was pretending to be someone else. “Oh, it’s a funny story actually,” she began answering sarcastically. “My son brought me to a town that doesn't really exist in this world to break a curse that the Evil Queen cast on all the people of the Enchanted Forest, who you would know as the characters in fairy tales, trapping them in our world and freezing time for twenty-eight years-”

Regina began to speak over Emma in a serious tone with her own answer. “I adopted Henry as a baby and when he was ten, he sought you out and brought you home. That’s how we met.” She crossed her arms, “Our story is our business. Why does anyone need to know more than that?”

“They don’t,” Emma spoke gently, realizing Regina was getting defensive. “But you know people ask questions like how you met and how long you've been together, how you fell in love.”

“This,” Regina gestured between them as she began answering the theoretical questions again, “Is still new.” She crossed her arms again. “It was a bit rocky when you first came to town; I thought you would try to take Henry from me, but we became friendly after a while.” Brown eyes fell to her plate and her deep voice softened, “I fell in love with you when I realized you were a good person who genuinely cared about me; when you put yourself in harm’s way to protect me and Henry.”

There was a pregnant pause.

Regina refused to look up and Emma refused to look away.

“You can make up your own,” Regina picked up her fork and stabbed a piece of honey dew melon.

“Ok, yeah. That’s… good.”

Regina’s eyes remained glued to her food while Emma opened her mouth but couldn't seem to form the words on the tip of her tongue. The blonde closed her mouth and exhaled before opening it again to speak.

“Uh, so now that we have tomorrow all settled, what are we gunna do with our free time today? We should do something fun.” She was trying desperately to lift the tension at the table and apparently it worked because Regina finally looked at Emma again.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know,” the blonde started waving her hands in circles, “Something outside of your comfort zone.”

“Outside my comfort zone,” Regina repeated. “Is that code for ‘You’re boring and we need to work on changing that’?”

Emma knew she was being facetious, so she answered lightly, “I’m not suggesting you need to change anything, Regina; there’s nothing wrong with you.” She slowed her speech thinking about what she had in mind and how it could very possibly backfire. “I’m just saying that I think we would both have fun today if we just did something different. Something we wouldn't ordinarily do at home.”

The older woman narrowed her eyes, “Mm-hmm. Good save.”

***************************************************************************

It took a good amount of persuading, but Emma somehow managed to get Regina to play a game of laser tag. At first, Emma was surprised at how good Regina was, but when she considered how many fireballs the queen had thrown in her life… it was a bit less shocking.

It was an amazing sight, really.

Everyone knew Emma was a child in a grown woman’s body, but seeing Regina running around, having fun… Emma had never seen her laugh so much and so unapologetically. It was beautiful.

After laser tag, was lunch, then a few hours walking around a wildlife refuge, which turned out to be a lot of work for Regina. 

For the amount of times she had to tell Emma “no” when the blonde asked if they could take one of the animals home because they were so cute, she should have simply recorded herself saying no once and pressed play every time Emma broke out her puppy dog eyes. 

They sat in the bug as Emma drove after their very successful day off when the blonde looked over to find Regina lost in thought.

“What’s up?” 

She didn't expect to get much of a response, but was pleasantly surprised when Regina gave her an honest answer instead of a fake “nothing”.

“It seems like so long ago,” the brunette shook her head as she continued to stare at her reflection in the window, “But just like yesterday. Everything that happened in the Enchanted Forest: Daniel, my mother, being dead set on revenge.” She paused. “Being…evil.”

As much as Emma hated when Regina called herself evil, she knew it would always be a part of the reformed villain, and while she understood that fact, she wished Regina didn't have that hanging over her head for the rest of her life. 

“Painful memories can sometimes have a way of sticking stronger in our minds than good memories,” she reasoned as she glanced over. “Especially with the amount of crap you went through.” 

“Or that you went through… because of me.” 

Their eyes met briefly before Emma looked back to the road and Regina continued. “And now, here you are trying to help me find my happy ending.” 

“I promised you I would,” she stated very matter-of-factly.

The older woman tipped her head, “You shouldn't feel obligated to help me.” 

“Regina, I’m not here out of obligation.” She was willing to drill that into her friend’s mind until it stuck. “I’m here because I care about you…” She pulled the car into a parking spot and put it in park. “You’re Henry’s mother,” she turned to face Regina, “And I genuinely want you to be happy.”

“Where are we?” Regina surveyed their surroundings, but didn't recognize anything. “It’s already getting dark out.”

“At our next stop,” the blonde smiled as she exited the car and Regina followed suit.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

Regina’s phone rang just as she shut her door and turned around to find that they were at a park. Thankfully, it was night time, so there were no little kids to scream while she answered the call.

It was Henry.

Regina put him on speaker like normal so the three of them could talk as the women walked to the nearby swing set and sat on the swings.

The phone call didn't last long because Henry had plans to get to, but it had become an unspoken agreement that he would call his moms every night and they looked forward to it.

As they exchanged their “I love you”s and hung up, Emma couldn't help but notice how utterly sad Regina was.

She placed a hand on the other woman’s leg and gave her a grin full of understanding.

“I miss him,” Regina sniffed and blinked back tears. “So much.”

“I know. Me too.” Emma began rubbing soothing circles on the brunette’s skin.

“I think I did ok with him.” For all the confidence the mayor showed on a daily basis, it sounded much more as if she was looking for reassurance than as if she was sure. “He turned out to be a good kid, right?”

The blonde squeezed her leg. “He’s an amazing kid, Regina, and that’s all on you,” she answered firmly, but sweetly.

Regina placed her hand on top of Emma’s and gave her a sad grin. “I’m just so tired of having to do everything alone, you know? It’s exhausting never having someone on my side, never having support.”

“You have me.” Pale fingers entwined with smaller, olive-skinned digits before green eyes met amber. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Neither one knew how much time had passed before Emma ended their moment. 

“Come on,” she said excitedly as she jumped up and tugged Regina’s arm.

“What now?”

She waved her arm, “Just come on.”

Regina finally stood and allowed Emma to lead her to the monkey bars and the jungle gym, where the blonde mysteriously got the brunette to have fun like an innocent child in the cool air of the night once more before the day ended.


	8. Day 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma turned and gestured to Lily, “I mean, just look at the way she’s looking at Rachel…”  
> Brown eyes followed where the blonde’s had landed. “Like no matter how many faults she has, no matter how many times she messes up…,” Regina added.  
> “Nothing could make her give up,” Emma turned her attention back to Regina as she began to finish the brunette’s thoughts, “Or love her any less.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the last chapter, I hope you guys enjoyed my story! I'm pretty sure I'll be writing an epilogue too though.  
> Thank you for sticking with me as I fumbled through my first multi-chapter fic! It has definitely been a learning experience. And hopefully I will be inspired to write another soon, because I kind of loved writing this, which I have all my readers to thank for.  
> As always, I love to hear your thoughts, so leave them in the comments below!
> 
> Enjoy :)

It was the day of the wedding and they had fallen into the role of “happy couple” so easily, it was almost as if they had never left that role in the first place.

The ceremony was gorgeous, but not over done, set in a pasture surrounded with trees to provide shade, and both brides were visions of beauty in their white and ivory dresses, standing under the delicately decorated gazebo.

Knowing no one but those exchanging vows, Emma and Regina sat by themselves in the back. Sitting behind everyone, nobody but the brides and the Justice of the Peace could see the two of them unless they specifically turned around to look, but that didn't stop them from claiming they had to keep up appearances when Regina wrapped herself around Emma’s arm and leaned into the blonde while their hands rested entwined on the tan skin of Regina’s thigh.

Regina got goosebumps, at first, when Emma’s thumb mindlessly glided back and forth on the brunette’s bare skin, but after the initial shock, she snuggled farther into the younger woman.

When the ceremony finished, there was a foot path between the ceremony location and the reception that was completely canopied by the trees. It had to have been one of the main selling points of the venue because everyone was talking about it.

As expected, as soon as they sat at a table, the strangers around them started with the invading questions – more than either of them had prepared to answer. Needless to say, they didn't stay at the table very long before finding a nice spot by the open bar where they could talk, just the two of them, without being hammered about their relationship.

Sipping on their drinks, they watched as Lily and Rachel danced happily among all their loved ones, celebrating the next step in their lives.

“She looks really happy,” Regina stated before finishing her drink and ordering another.

The blonde grinned, thinking fondly of the time she had shared with Lily as a teenager. “Yeah.”

Regina took note of the emotion and caring in Emma’s voice. “Do you regret losing her,” she inquired, paying attention to the younger woman’s facial expression.

Emma simply shrugged her shoulders, “It wouldn't have worked anyway.” She paused a moment, thinking. “You guys are kinda similar, you know.”

“Oh.”

Emma could have sworn she heard disappointment in Regina’s voice.

“But also completely different,” she assured the brunette.

Regina said nothing, merely waited, hoping Emma would elaborate without being asked.

“She’s so… peppy,” Emma frowned. “And sickeningly sweet and blindly optimistic. You’re…”

“Chronically angry. Bitter. Moody,” Regina finished.

The blonde giggled as her eyes turned to her companion, “I was gunna say grounded, but uh, you definitely keep me on my toes. You’re never boring, that’s for sure.”

A deep guttural laugh escaped.

“But you’re both vastly misunderstood in your lives.” Emma looked down at her glass before looking back up at Regina. “After having everything taken away from you over and over again, you managed to find yourselves in a good place, which is admirable, really. And you have huge hearts with an even bigger capacity to love.

Tan cheeks flushed as she grinned shyly. 

Emma turned and gestured to Lily, “I mean, just look at the way she’s looking at Rachel…” 

Brown eyes followed where the blonde’s had landed. “Like no matter how many faults she has, no matter how many times she messes up…,” Regina added.

“Nothing could make her give up,” Emma turned her attention back to Regina as she began to finish the brunette’s thoughts, “Or love her any less.”

Regina gazed into the endlessly green orbs gazing back at her.

It was like looking at miles and miles of untouched pastures with ice blue lakes highlighting the already beautiful sea of green, and suddenly she gasped for air when the bass boomed through the speakers and brought her back to reality.

No matter if they were sitting down or on the dance floor, everybody threw their hands up and screamed excitedly at the DJ’s next song.

Appearing out of nowhere, Lily grabbed Emma’s arm, “Come on! It’s our song!”

The blonde tried to resist and gave Regina pleading eyes to save her, but the queen only laughed and watched as Lily dragged her out to the floor.

It only took Emma a second to accept that she wasn't getting away before she began dancing old choreography wildly with her childhood friend. It was quite impressive the way they were moving in a wedding gown and a tight dress with killer heels.

The song was still playing when they finished their dance so Emma beckoned Regina to the floor, curling a single finger a few times, but the brunette shook her head “no” and didn't move.

In her red dress, Emma jokingly did a sexy walk to Regina and nodded her head “yes” before whispering in her ear. “You’re gunna let Rachel win?”

That was all she needed for encouragement. Regina grabbed her hand and lead her to the dance floor, right next to the newly-weds, but before they had a chance to start dancing, the music changed and a slow song came on.

Regina dropped her hand and turned to leave, Emma following her, but Lily stopped them. “Nope! You guys are not allowed to sit this one out.”

Regina opened her mouth to speak, but Lily wouldn't allow it.

“It’s my wedding and I say so,” she said with a smirk.

Madam Mayor looked at the sheriff hesitantly, but Emma offered her hand.

“May I have this dance, Miss Mills,” she asked with a gently smile.

Trying unsuccessfully not to smile, Regina took Emma’s hand and the blonde brought it to the front of her shoulder before placing her own hands on the brunette’s waist.

As they swayed back and forth, Emma kept trying to look at Regina, but every time they made eye contact, Regina dropped her eyes and blushed.

Emma slowly drifted them away from Lily and Rachel as the song went on. Usually, DJ’s don’t play songs in their entirety to keep the energy moving, but he sure as hell was letting this one play every last note, for which most people were thankful.

"I have to admit, this whole thing is beautiful,” Regina confessed as she looked around the room. “Rachel may be a sociopathic bitch, but she and Lily know how to plan a wedding.”

Emma smirked, “Sociopathic bitch might be a bit much, Regina.”

“No, not really,” she answered frankly.

The blonde chuckled as she wrapped her arms around Regina, pulling her in close to speak softly in her ear. “So, did Rachel win?”

Regina folded into the strong arms and rested her head on Emma’s shoulder, “No.”

***************************************************************************

The end of the night was approaching and Regina and Emma had enough interaction with strangers. They needed to get away. 

They headed back to the gazebo for some peace and quiet to find that both the pathway and the gazebo were beautifully lit. It was an incredibly romantic scene and as they strode down the dirt path, they wondered how no one else had come back to that spot.

“Thanks again for tonight and pretending to be a happy couple. I think it went well.” Emma played with the tiny bulbs as they walked along. “I just wanted Lily to see that I've been perfectly fine without her and that I’m happy.”

Amber eyes narrowed, “Are you though?”

Emma scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

“Or are you just settling with Captain Guyliner? Seriously, he looks like he belongs in an emo rock band. “

“Regina…” Emma really didn't want to have to explain, but she didn't have to anyway because the politician in the Latina couldn't help herself.

“Tell me,” the shorter woman stopped moving and looked Emma in the eye, “If you’re so happy with him, then why is it you so desperately wanted her to think we were together instead of just telling her about your wonderful boyfriend? After all, you could have told her he was the love of your life and exaggerated the one or two good qualities he might actually possess and she never would have known the difference.”

The blonde raised her arms and dropped them. “I panicked,” was the best excuse she came up with.

“And your first thought was to pretend you and I were living happily ever after?” Regina didn't buy it. Emma was smarter than that.

Emma exhaled. “Hook was simple,” she spit out quickly.

“Was?” The brunette was taken aback by the new information implied with one simple word.

Emma hadn't meant to say anything about the breakup, but it slipped. “I ended it with him the day after we got here – after we had lunch with Lily and Rachel… I knew I couldn't string him along anymore.”

Regina looked at her dumbfounded; she didn't know what to say.

“With Hook, I knew he wasn't gunna disappear.” 

“You were with him because it was easy and safe, not because he made you happy.” Regina tried to get Emma to look at her, but it wasn't happening. 

The younger woman hooked her fingers on her back pockets, eyes glued to the gazebo, “Well my job as Savior is everybody else’s happiness, not my own.” 

“You’re infuriating sometimes.” The mayor lost some of her composure and began talking with her hands. “Emma, you’re a person. You’re not just a job title. You’re not just the Savior. You deserve to be happy too.” 

“That’s easier said than done.” Her eyes flew from the gazebo to the ground as she knocked around a small rock between her feet.

“Why? Why does it have to be,” Regina asked impatiently, and barely finished her question before Emma raised her voice only slightly and finally looked at Regina. 

“Because I won’t put my happiness before yours.” 

The older woman closed her eyes and shook her head in a combination of confusion and irritation. “Have I just been seeing what I want to see?” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“God,” she huffed, “I must be crazy.” She laughed at herself for getting caught up in the idea that there was something more than face value to this trip.

She took two steps away from Emma before bringing her hands to her head. 

“Regina, you’re not crazy.” The blonde was disappointed in herself for allowing this mess to happen.

Regina turned back around and punctuated every point with a movement of her hands. “You knock out guys who call me a bitch. You order food you know I like so I can have some if I want it. The day we had lunch with Lily and Rachel? You joked about every queen loving their swan, and then how quickly you came to my defense when that asshole insinuated I was a bad mother! And apparently, you broke up with your pirate mascot after that lunch.”

Regina’s frustration was building and tears threatened to fall, but she did her best to fight them back as she pointed out one questionable thing after another that Emma had done. 

“You hold my hand. You say me and my imperfections are beautiful. We slept in each other’s arms!” She locked on to green eyes. “And when you tried on that dress…,” she gestured to the red material hugging the blonde’s every curve. “And this entire day!... That stuff was real! That wasn't just you pretending… right?” A single tear fell. “Have I just been reading everything completely wrong? Have I been making an ass of myself?!”

Emma hated herself for upsetting Regina so much, she had a hard time keeping eye contact as she shift her weight back and forth on her feet. “No, that’s-“

“Then I don’t get it.” The frustrated woman dropped her arms, signifying she’d given up trying to understand.

“If we’re here to find Robin,” Emma started, “I will do everything in my power to help you.”

“God, you’re so dense!” Regina tapped her head in aggravation. “Does it look like I want Robin?!”

Emma wasn't blind; she knew exactly what Regina was talking about. This was exactly what she was afraid of. The internal war she waged against herself years ago had now become reality and she was forced to face it. She could no longer pretend it didn't exist.

She took a deep breath before she began speaking slowly, barely above a whisper. “Neal: died in my arms. Graham died in my arms.” Her voice started to rise. “Walsh turned out to be a flying monkey. Hell, even August was turned back into a child!”

“I don’t need a list of everyone you've slept with in Storybrooke,” Regina snapped, wiping away another tear.

“Everyone I have ever fallen in love with has been ripped away from me, one way or another. As soon as I think I've found happiness with someone… I lose them and I have to pick myself up off the floor again.” The tears she had been holding back finally fell as she tried to remain strong against them. “Regina, I don’t want to lose you.”

All the tension and irritation Regina held was instantly let go and she looked to Emma full of skeptical hope. 

“If I had to, I’m sure I could survive without you… if I _had_ to… for Henry,” her green eyes danced around the ground, “But I never want to have to. And I’m absolutely… _petrified_ ,” she punctuated raising her fists, “That as soon as I let myself be happy with you, you’ll be ripped away too. And,” she met the brown eyes staring at her intensely with a heartbreaking smile and shook her head, “Regina, I can’t…”

As badly as she longed to move closer to the blonde, she knew Emma had to be the one to close the gap between them. 

“I’m the Evil Queen,” she scoffed. “No one is going to mess with me, and if they do, I can handle it.”

Emma shook her head again, “If I’m not the Savior then you’re not the Evil Queen-“ 

“Exactly, Emma!” 

It was a good thing they were so secluded from the rest of the guests because they weren't exactly having a peaceful conversation.

“We are just two people! Emma and Regina! And if there is one thing I've learned from our son, it’s that we both deserve to be happy despite everything.” She inhaled shakily as tears mixed of sadness, frustration, and exhaustion flowed freely down her face and onto her neck. “You promised me my happy ending, Emma,” she spoke softly, “And the only one standing in the way of both of our happiness is you.” 

She waited for Emma to say something, but the blonde never opened her mouth. 

She closed her eyes and dropped her head in defeat, believing it was over when suddenly a soft hand gently cupped her cheek. She leaned into the touch as a thumb wiped at her tears, and placed her hand on top.

“You’re right.”

Amber eyes shot open and looked up into the emerald orbs, now merely inches away.

When Emma leaned in, her kiss was tender and calm at first, but it quickly grew with passion. 

Regina’s hands wrapped behind Emma’s neck and Emma’s arms wrapped around Regina’s entire torso, each pulling the other impossibly closer, tasting tears of joy and happiness on each other’s lips. Tears of promise. Tears of hope.

They finally broke apart unwillingly when they realized oxygen was a necessity.

Emma rested her forehead on Regina’s and whispered. 

“I’m so sorry. I’m an idiot.”

Regina looked up at her once more, biting her lip shyly. “Doesn't make me love you any less.”

The blonde smiled and leaned in again, unable to stop herself from planting a string of chaste kisses on Regina’s full lips.


	9. Epilogue

She woke to a warm body pressed against her back and soft lips leaving a trail of kisses across her shoulder. 

As soon as she began to shift, Emma planted a kiss below her ear. “Good morning.”

Even still only semi-conscious, she could hear the smile in the blonde’s voice. She grinned as a contented moan escaped her lips and she twisted under the weight of Emma’s arm to face her good morning.

She snuggled in as much as possible and buried her face into Emma, who laughed to herself before she looked at the clock on the nightstand. 10:02.

“We missed breakfast.”

Emma knew that Regina was typically an “early to bed, early to rise” kind of person, but they had stayed up late into the night talking and laughing and watching movies and cuddling. She wanted to let Regina sleep peacefully as long as possible.

A muffled “ok” was the only response the brunette cared to give

Emma gave her a tender squeeze, then closed her eyes.

She had let her fear of losing Regina standing in their way for so long, yet now, as she held that strong, independent, fierce woman in her arms, she had trouble remembering how she ever thought that risk wasn't worth taking.

“Emma?” The deep velvet voice broke the blonde from her thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“What happens now?” Her voice had almost reached a whisper.

“I think that’s completely up to you,” the blonde blinked.

Regina propped her head up on her elbow, and took a moment before answering. “I don’t know if this is the ending the author wrote or if we are the authors of our own stories, but I came here searching for my happy ending… and I found it. I don’t care what the author had planned; I choose you.”

Emma looked at her in wonder like she was the light the moon reflected each night, “We found Tallahassee.”

Dark eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “What?”

“Nothing,” Emma shook her head. “Just something Neal said to me once.”

Regina paused for a moment, her mouth falling into a natural grin. “I think it’s time to go home.”

The blonde placed a chaste kiss on Regina’s forehead before nuzzling her with her nose. “Home sounds good.”

***************************************************************************

After hours and hours of arguing over music, who’s the better driver, and hunger complaints, the mayor and the sheriff finally crossed the town line to Storybrooke, hand in hand, in the same bug that had brought Emma home the night she met Henry and Regina.

Their first priority was seeing Henry, which meant driving right past 108 Mifflin Street and heading straight to the loft.

As they pulled up to the building, Regina played nervously with the ring hanging from her neck – the necklace she played with excitedly the entire drive home – the necklace Emma had worn every day until the previous morning when she took it off and gently put it on Regina. 

They were about to burst the bubble of paradise they had fallen into in Tallahassee.

Emma stood and reached out her hand as Regina made her way around the front of the bug and pulled the brunette in for a reassuring kiss.

Neither one had seen the Charmings and Henry exit the building just in time to witness them.

“Moms!”


End file.
